Suction cleaner



Junev 29 w. H. KITTO SUCTION CLEANER Filed Ndv. 7, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Wz'lliam 12117110 ATTORNEY w. H. KITTO June 29, 1937.

ets-Sheet 2 v SUCTION CLEANER Filed Nov. 7, 1956 2 She William 1252'!!! ATTORNEY Patented June 29, 1937 I v UNITED STATES masses SUCTI ON CLEANER William H. Kitto, Canton; Ohio, assignor to. The. Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corponation of Ohio I Application November 7,

1936, Serial No. 109,694

1 Claims. (.01. 183-36) This invention relates to improvements in suction cleaners and more particularly to a new and novel mounting for thedirt bag of a suction cleaner of the portable handle-maneuvered type, in which the inlet end of the dirt receiving bag is connected to the exhaust outlet from the cleaner casing and the closed end of the bag is suspended from the handle. w

The foregoing arrangement, more or less standard in suction cleaners of the type indicated, does not afford the ideal mounting for the dirt bag for the reason that one portion thereof swings or moves with the-handle whereas the other or lower end portion is relatively l5 fixed so that thelower portion or'the bag is continually undergoing a bending and flexing movement which is not conducive to long bag life.- particularly, if the bags are of paper or like fibrous materials not having the strength of the o more commonly used woven fabric for this purpose.

It is therefore the object of the present inven-. tionto' provide an improved mo ing for the lower end of the dirt bag having the general formof flexibly connected telescoping members, one being attached to the outlet connectionfrom the cleaner and the other clamped around the mouth of the bag.

The novel feature of the bag mounting in its preferred form is disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which:

' Figure 1 is a general'view in side elevation of .a suction cleaner showing the improved mounting intermediate the mouth of the bag and the 5 outlet connection;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail section showing the bag mounting member, or "adapter, as it may be called, removed from the cleaner and with a non-inflatedbag attached 4 thereton J v Figure 3 is a view in cross-section through the bag connecting member. taken on line 3-3 .of

- f Figure 4 is, a: ew in front elevation of the bag .45 connecting member'removed 'from the cleaner,

and? Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in vertical section'the upper edgeportion of the ba g 'ring showing the addition of a connecting link between the ring and the bag clamping collar to support the I latter when a fabric or other cloth bag material isused.

Referring briefly to the general I design and construction of the suction cleaner for which the improved bag mounted device is adapted, the

.the handle and as already suggested is connected pended from the handle by means of a flexible view in vertical Q same comprises a wheeled casing I having a nozzle 2 extending transversely across its forward end and surmounted by'a dome-like casing 3 in which is housed an electric-motor driving a suction-creating fan located within a fan chem-r 5 her communicating with nozzle 2 and also with exhaust outlet 4 opening rearwardlyin a vertically arranged flange connection 5.- A handle 6 is pivotally connected with the casing I through a U-shapedbail 6a which straddles the motor 1 casing 3 and permits the handle to swing in an arc and upwardly or downwardly from the "rearwardly extending and inclined position for 'maneuvering the cleaner over the ca pet surface, as

shown in Figure 1. The. dirt b g I which for 15 the purposes! this disclosure maybe assumed to be of paper or other light fibrous material, rather than the ordinary fabric or cloth generally ed for this purpose, is located immediately be ow at its mouth or lower end 'with the outlet connection! of the cleaner casing with the nozzle connecting member or adapter presently to be -described indetail, and at its upper endis susand preferably extensible connecting member 8.

The flexible bag mouth connector or adapter, consists primarilyof two connected tubular members, one telescoping within the other; the internal member 9 being of a flexible material such as a relatively soft rubber sleeve of substantially uniform diameter throughout its outer end por-w tion, whereas'the outer or external sleeve member In is made of a relatively stifl material such as light metal and, doubling back over the internal member, diverges or tapers outwardly to a substantially increased diameter at its free end, with the result that an annular space separates adiacent ends oi the'tele'scoping sleeves.

As clearly shown in-Figure 2 the inlet of .the internal flexible sleeve-9 is'suitably connected to a solid ring II by means of-a clamping ring I! which looks the edge of the sleeveinto an internal seat formed in a laterally projecting flanged portion Ila of the. ring. The clamping ring I l is adapted to be applied'against the flanged outlet connection! from .the cleaner casing and to be r detachablyheld in place by a pair. of'clamping bolts l3, l3 one on each side of the outlet connection and adapted to be engaged by ears llb, 5o llb, formed integralv with the clamping collar ll Immediately beyond the ring H to which the flexible sleeve. member Sis-fixed, the latter assinnes a somewhat enl ed or bulbous form, thence converging .to its aior portion oi. uni- '65 form diameter extending rearwardly and upwardly at an angle of substantially 45 degrees to thevertical plane of the clamping ring II. The outer end of the flexible, sleeve 9 is clamped to the smaller end of the tapered external sleeve ID, by an extensible clamping ring l4 seating in an internal annular groove around the end of the external sleeve with the edge of the flexible sleeve between.

From the outer end of the flexible sleeve 9, the external sleeve I extends toward the inlet end of the adapter, but terminates short of the attaching ring H. A clamping collar i5 is provided at the free edge of the external sleeve ill, this collar preferably having the form of a wide marginal portion of the sleeve doubled back upon itself to form a U-shaped channel. Thus,

assuming that the mouth of the bag is fashioned to slip over the sleeve l0 and to seat in the U-shaped channel formed by the collar !5, a resilient clamping ring l6, surrounding the collar and provided with a suitable clamping lever l1, clamps the bag to the sleeve with a firm and air-tight connection and yet permitting the replacement of the bags as they wear out in use.

If desired, the mouth of the bag may be reinforced by a relatively stiff collar or cuff la of cardboard or like material although this is a matter of choice. Moreover, as is shown in Figure 2, the collar I5 is preferably a separate ring, welded to the" edge of the sleeve 10, as it wouldbe impractical to fold the margin of the sleeve back upon itself as the structure suggests.

With the connecting device or adapter introduced between the outlet connection of the cleaner and the mouth of the bag, it follows that the external sleeve to which the mouth of the bag is clamped, assumes a more or less concentric position relative to the internal flexible sleeve 9, but at the same time there is suificient flexibility and freedom of movement between the two to produce a sort of floating connection between the mouth of the bag and the outlet connection of the cleaner casing. In this manner,

I the bag is free to move with the handle without subjecting the lower or reduced neck portion the'eof to any appreciable bending or buckling as wouldrotherwise occur.

As a modified arrangement, the internal sleeve l8 may be made of a woven fabric or of the regular bag cloth, in which case it would afford little or no support for the mouth of the bag, and consequently additional support is necessary. Thus, in Figure 5 there is shown a link f9 connected at one end to a point on the edge of the external sleeve- 2| immediately opposite. This link [9 is preferably provided at its ring connected end with a stop lug l9a which engages the shoulder formed by the rearwardly extending flange 20a of the ring, so as to maintain a concentric relation between the bag support ing end of the external sleeve 2| and the attaching ring 20. Manifestly the presence. of the link reduces somewhat the flexibility and freedom of movement afforded by the adapter, but it does not in any material'respect reduce the effectiveness of the arrangement, inasmuch as the link l9 swings in the same vertical plane as the handle.

However, this arrangement is especially desirable, if not necessary, in case the internal sleeve of the adapter is made of a woven fabric or other material not having sufficient bodily stiffness to support the lower portion of the bag.

Having set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, I claim:

1. In a bag mounting for suction cleaners, the combination with a casing having an exhaust outlet and a dirt bag adapted to be attached at said outlet, of an intermediate connector comprising a-flexible sleeve connected at one end with said outlet and forming an extension thereof, and another'sleeve of relatively stiff material fixed to the outer end of said flexible sleeve and embracing a portion thereof in telescopic relation, the free end of said last mentioned sleeve being of increased diameter and adapted to have detachable connection with the mouth portion of said bag.

2. In a bag .mounting for suction cleaners, the combination with a casing having an exhaust outlet and a dirt bag adapted to communicate with said outlet, of an intermediate connector comprising a flexible sleeve adapted to be connected at one end with said outlet to form an extension thereof, and a relatively stiff sleeve of greater diameter fixed at one end to the outer end of said first mentioned sleeve and surrounding a substantial portion of the length thereof in telescopingrelation, and means for securing the mouth portion of said bag around the free end of said last mentioned external sleeve.

3. In a bag mounting for suction cleaners, the combination with a casing having an exhaust outlet and a dirt bag adapted to communicate with said outlet, of an adapter for the purpose described, comprising a sleeve of flexible but relatively stiff material adapted to be attached at one end to said outlet connection and forming a short extension thereof, and an external sleeve of stiff materialflxed at one end to the outer end of said first mentioned sleeve and diverging from said outer end enclosing a substantial portion of said first mentioned internal sleeve, said external sleeve being provided with a clamping means at its free end to receive the mouth portion of said bag for air-tight connection therewith.

4. In a bag mounting for suction cleaners, the combination with a casing having an exhaust outlet andthe dirt bag adapted to communicate with said outlet, of an intermediate connector comprising a flexible sleeve adapted for attachment at one end to said outlet and forming an extension thereof, a sleeve of stiff material surrounding said flexible sleeve in radially spaced relation therewith and secured at the outer end thereof, and means at the free end of said external sleeve to receive the mouth portion of said bag in clamping engagement therewith.

5. In a bag mounting for suction cleaners, the combination wit outlet and a dirt bag adapted to communicate with said outlet, of a flexible adapter intermediate said outlet and the mouth of said bag comprising a pair of telescopically arranged tubular members connected at their outer ends, the internal tubular member being adapted to communicate with said exhaust outlet and said external tubular member-being spaced radially a casing having an exhaustfrom the internal member and adapted to be its outer end from said handle, a flexible adapter intermediate said outlet connection and the mouth of said bag, comprising a pair of flexibly connected sleeves, one-enclosing the other in telescopic relation, the free 'end of the internal tubular member being adapted for attachment at the said exhaust outlet and said external sleeve being adapted to be surrounded by the mouth portion of said bag and to have detachable connection therewith around its free end, 1 and means for supporting the mouth of said bag atjone end with said exhaust outlet and to be supported at its outer end from said handle, of n a flexible adapter having a solid ring adapted for attachment at said exhaust outlet, a sleeve of flexible material attached at one end to said ring, a sleeve of stifi material secured at the outer end of said flexible sleeve and surrounding a substantial portion of the length thereof, means for attaching the mouth of said bag around thefree end oi! said external sleeve and a link connecting said ring with said external sleeve and located in theplane of movement of said handle;

' WILLIAM H. KITTO. 

